Margaret Hathaway didn’t want to talk about it at first, but she may have experienced the first sighting of a baby surfing in utero. She was pregnant with Sheldon who is two years old.
Hathaway explains, “I was at 32 weeks in my pregnancy. My obstetrician wanted an ultrasound to check the size of the baby. Dr. Madison, my obstetrician, said everything was fine. Then the nurse walked in and gasped, ‘The baby is standing up! It’s like he’s surfing.’”
According to Dr. Madison, “Everything was generally fine. Sheldon gave me a thumbs up, but most babies do. That’s normal in my practice. Sheldon was active. I didn’t see everything at that moment because I turned around when the nurse walked in. I felt a bump against my hand. I figured that was the baby high fiving me. Again, that’s normal.”
It sounds like there’s a lot of exciting things happening in Dr. Madison’s practice. As we searched for more answers, we went to other experts.
Jacqueline Point, PhD, owner of the Amniotic Wave Institute says there is a scientific basis for what happened. “Ultrasound uses waves, and the baby is essentially floating in the amniotic fluid. The amplitude of the waves can add together, known as constructive interference, creating a platform strong enough to support the baby. You could call it amniotic fluid surfing.”
Hathaway beams, “None of this surprises me. I went to the beach often when I was pregnant. Sheldon loves water activities now! We still must work on surfing. But I’m glad he got a leg up or maybe it was a foot.”
Dr. Point thinks the sighting of Sheldon surfing was likely very brief, a few seconds, given that amniotic waves can be unstable and would dissipate quickly.
After hearing about Dr. Point’s comments, Dr. Madison says, “Babies' bodies are mostly water. Sheldon probably found the ultrasound waves soothing. Those waves were strong enough to support his weight. But was Sheldon surfing on the waves or were the waves merely supporting him? That needs to be sorted out. OH, I’ve got to deliver a baby. See you!”